Hear George Michael’s Posthumous ‘Fantasy’ Remake With Nile Rodgers
A new version of George Michael‘s “Fantasy” featuring Nile Rodgers premiered on Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 show Thursday.
“Fantasy” was originally released as a b-side on the “Freedom ’90” 12-inch in 1990 and later appeared on the 2011 deluxe edition of Faith. While the new track keeps the original’s shuffling dance groove, it contains previously unheard vocals and fresh guitar work from Rodgers. Rodgers’ quintessential disco grooves and a simple drum track comprise the bulk of production on “Fantasy,” leaving plenty of room for Michael’s vigorous vocals.
Michael’s former collaborator and manager, David Austin, e-mailed the BBC’s Evans about “Fantasy,” noting the original song was supposed to appear on 1990’s Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1 but got lost in the shuffle. When Michael was preparing to reissue Listen Without Prejudice alongside his MTV Unplugged performance, he chose “Fantasy” as the lead single and sent the track to Rodgers in early 2016 to rework.
The re-release of Listen Without Prejudice/MTV Unplugged was originally slated for release last fall but was pushed back to March 2017, though the decision was made prior Michael’s death in December. The record is now slated to arrive October 20th.